Restaurant Review #5: Infuzion Cafe, Santa Monica

The worst boba I've had in Los Angeles can be found at Infuzion Cafe at 3rd and Wilshire (just off the Promenade). While I welcome boba near the Promenade and would be perfectly satisfied with this place if I lived in a less culinarily diverse city such as, say, St. Louis, Infuzion's boba just doesn't live up to LA standards or the standards of any boba-lover.

Whether or not the tapioca will be fresh and chewy or old and stale is hit-or-miss. Once cooked, boba only stays fresh for about 30 minutes, but Infuzion doesn't seem to understand this. The selection of flavors is good, but the intensity of the drinks is on the weak and watery side, perhaps because health-conscious Santa Monicans want less sugar in their drinks, perhaps because the cafe's employees don't have a knack for making good drinks. If you ask for an extra strong drink though, you may get more what you had in mind based on your experiences with places like Volcano Tea, Lollicup, and Upper House.

The staff is very friendly, and they did re-make my drink once when my first order just wasn't worth the $3.50, but I'd prefer to not need my drink re-made in the first place. Also, they offer free WiFi and one desktop computer with internet access for patrons. This place is kind of sterile though, with decor similar to a Starbucks, and not somewhere I actually want to sit and hang out. Also, the hours aren't great.

In addition to boba, they also offer other coffee and non-coffee drinks that you'd expect at a coffee shop.

Infuzion Cafe
1149 3rd Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-393-9985
Mon - Fri: 6:30am-7pm
Sat: 7am-9pm
Sun: 8am-6pm